Revelstoke Dam Tours

Travelers who are wondering what to see in BC may want to visit the Revelstoke Dam. The dam is north of the city of Revelstoke on the Columbia River in British Columbia, Canada. The dam spans the river. The reservoir located behind the dam is Lake Revelstoke. Its surface area is 11,534 hectares.

The Revelstoke Dam is part of a hydroelectric complex with a concrete gravity dam, a powerhouse and an earthfill dam. The concrete dam is in Little Dalles Canyon, and the powerhouse is just downstream from this dam. The powerhouse uses five generating units. Four of them have been used since 1984. The fifth unit was completed in 2011. The earthfill dam is on the river’s west bank and is 122 metres high.

Visitors can take self-guided Revelstoke dam tours. These tours include a walk through the Revelstoke Dam Visitor Centre. One of the interactive exhibits in the centre gives visitors the chance to light a bulb by pedaling a bike. The history of the dam’s construction is displayed in pictures.

A First Nations gallery in the centre has exhibits on the traditions and history of First Nations who have lived in the area for over 15,000 years. Artwork from the Ktunaxa Nation, the Okanagan Nation and the Shuswap Nation is displayed in the gallery. This artwork includes hide drums and birch bark baskets. Some items in this gallery were borrowed from the Revelstoke Museum and Archives.

The next stop on the tour after the Visitor Centre is a scenic walkway across the top of the dam’s powerhouse. Visitors then take an elevator up 35 stories to a lookout above the concrete dam. This dam is 175 metres high. The lookout provides a spectacular view of the Columbia River. Tours are not available during the winter months.

Other Revelstoke BC attractions include national parks. Visitors can drive along a parkway through Mount Revelstoke National Park. This parkway goes through rainforests and meadows. A trip to Glacier National Park gives people a chance to walk across glaciers.

British Columbia visitors will find other things to do in Revelstoke. There is live entertainment during the summer at Grizzly Plaza in downtown Revelstoke. Places to visit in the area include Heritage Ghost Town, the Nickelodeon Museum and the Railway Museum.